Us and Them
by eridania67814
Summary: MRA forces Magneto and Xavier to join forces again but there's another danger lurking in the depths of space...
1. And Justice For All

A/N: This will be the first finished fanfic seen anywhere outside of a notebook or text file on a CD, an amazing thing to the friends of mine who read and heard of those I'm still working on from jr. HS. I don't own any recognizable Marvel characters, I don't own much of anything =\. This is rated R for every reason you can think of.  
  
Pairings here are L/M, O/K, O/H, S/M, and M/M involuntary. Introduction of Kitty, Jubilee, Yami, Alexandria. Takes place a year after X2.  
  
Summary: Mutant registration act takes effect, another joint effort between Magneto's team and the X-Men. Return of Jean Grey as the Phoenix to save the earth from impending doom of the misalignment of cosmic forces.  
  
And Justice for All  
  
It had been a year since Jean's death and everyone, including Scott, began to return to normalcy. The greatest concern was the pending vote in Congress on the Mutant Registration Act. Though Senator Kelly/Mystique advocated for the mutants' rights, the ball was already rolling. For some representatives it was a matter of how long they wished to stay in their cushioned positions.  
  
The children were on holiday from school to enjoy the winter and their families for those of whom still had families to go home to. The mansion was half empty, but three times as silent as normal. Logan, the rest of the X-Men and the X-Men in training carefully watched the news either on the community television or in the ready room and all saw the same event.  
  
The previous week, a couple of days after Halloween, a massive lynch mob in Alabama strung up 6 mutants, their own citizens, blaming them for the flooding, tornadoes and other natural disasters not common in the region killing civilians and damaging property. It was true, one of the mutants hanged was responsible, but, like nearly every other mutant, unable to control her powers. Everyone in the mansion held a vigil for those lost and for Jean as the recent tragedy and the last occurred within the same few days.  
  
This week's disaster was Magneto's team attacking Montgomery and other cities in retaliation for the murders. The X-Men rushed to their mission Bobby and Ororo keeping fires at bay, Scott and Marie talking Magneto and Mystique to a sort of calm  
  
"You do realize that any chance we had of preventing the MRA from passing is gone now?" Cyclops shouted to Magneto.  
  
"Had y'all let these terrorists be found out fah what they were, we'd have had a chance to be protected by law. Magnus, you of ahll people should undahstand that bettah than anyone else heah." Only Rogue's message got through to him. He would never forget that night he forced his power into her, never forget how she pushed back. The feeling in his head, the feelings in his body changed forever. He had feelings for this girl, and thinking of her as a girl was the only thing that kept him from ravishing her at any opportunity. Of course, opportunity was rare, but the power she had made him respect her and think two or three time before attempting such action.  
  
Magneto called for his people to stop. Rogue nodded to them that all would be okay and they returned to the Blackbird. They took the trip home as slowly as possible, waiting for everyone to share their views. Logan and Scott agreed that Magneto and his crew were far too dangerous to the cause and to the lives of everything on this planet to live, Orora believed that they would remain on the other side, but killing wasn't the answer. Kurt agreed with Orora and she glared at him for it and the look on his face. Everyone else experienced a beat of confusion, then continued with team opinions. Bobby said he hadn't one. Rogue explained to them that she had a link to Magnus that she knew she would be safe from him, though not everyone had that link with him.  
  
"He has a certain'... respect fah me now. It reminds me of... reverence." She stopped to address her thoughts, impressions and feelings from him, not speaking again until the Blackbird landed.  
  
In the ready room, everyone waited for her to continue. "He desires me." She paused again on purpose to watch everyone's responses, especially those from Bobby and Logan. Bobby nearly stood and Logan snarled, but the looks on their faces matched each other's perfectly. "I knew he'd back down when I said somethin' to him. I can't say that he won't retaliate against another terrorist attack against mutants, but I can say that he won't initiate anythin' for a long while."  
  
"Rogue, are you saying he's in your head like that?" Logan seemed calm enough on the outside, but a borderline panic ran through him, slowly enough to seize him into a facade of calm. Rogue could feel him in her head too, just like Magneto and, much like Magneto, Wolverine desired her.  
  
"I think everyone I've touched fah more than a few seconds is in my head like that."  
  
Professor Xavier entered the room and everyone stood, halting conversation. "Don't stop on my account, I think this is very interesting." He looked around and everyone sat silently. "Okay, then, while you were out playing, newscasters from everywhere in the country were taping you or broadcasting you live. Congress called an emergency session to debate the MRA. I want Scott to come with me to Washington to watch and listen. Orora... and Logan, watch the kids." With that, the Professor left, followed by the rest. 


	2. Boundaries

Eri-Sama: I expected to have this chapter out less than a week after the first one but this citrus-y scene kicked my butt. Please forgive me for [1], as it is cliché-ish and very sappy. Warning if you think pairing Nightcrawler with anyone would be considered as bestiality and you happen to not like that stuff: don't read the last half of the chapter. Damn' formatting doesn't take italics, I'll use the tilde marks to start flashbacks.  
  
Boundaries  
  
Every third Saturday night, Rogue shared the property night watch with someone. This particular evening it was with Logan. Rogue avoided him because of her relationship with Bobby but that was teetering on the touch issue.  
  
~~~  
  
"Bobby, you shouldn't go away on vacation with things the way they are between us."  
  
"I know you say the power is like a switch, but when will you find it?"  
  
Rogue looked at him suspiciously. "Is this about sex, Bobby?"  
  
"No, I wish you knew me better than that." Bobby was a bit hurt by her assumption. He was like every other young man his age, but with Rogue he just wanted to be able to kiss her and hold her hand for more than 30 seconds. It wasn't yet on his mind to be more intimate with a woman he had yet to have skin to skin contact with. He frowned at her, grabbed his bags and left.  
  
~~~  
  
She didn't hear Logan approach through her deep sigh. "Hey, kid, if you're tired, I'll ask someone to cover for you." She jumped a little at the interruption of sound but the voice let her relax again.  
  
"Logan," she turned to speak to him and he gave her a look she hadn't seen from him. He looked at her the way Bobby used to. She quickly averted her eyes when she figured it out. "I was just thinking about the night. I don't think I've had the chance to enjoy looking at the stars in a while." A silence billowed around them, both looking at the stars without breathing. Without thinking, Rogue pulled herself into Logan's arms and cried softly.  
  
***  
  
In another area of the country, Dr. Hank McCoy worked in secret to find a cure or fix for the mutant X gene. His previous theory of using radiation to reverse the effects was thrown out due to the danger to himself, the lab and any test subjects he would use. Now, he believed it was simply "setting back the clock" that was the answer. Radiation to alter the X gene and return it to an earlier primate state.  
  
"Dr. McCoy? Are you ready to test?" A young woman strode in on 2" heels in her long lab coat. She faced the handsome doctor but noticed something was wrong. "Doctor?"  
  
"Nurse Kamenich, I will be executing the test on myself." She looked at him in horror. "I can't very well know if it's safe for humans unless I test it on myself. If there's no change in me, then I know the this is the cure." Knowing there was no way to argue with him especially since she volunteered to help him with this unauthorized research, she walked with him to the tank.  
  
He walked in, not looking a bit worried. "Good luck." Navia whispered to the doctor, sealing him in and beginning the procedure. After 35 minutes, she began to shut down the machine, looking in on the doctor. Everything appeared to be fine and in a few minutes she helped him to a bed, picking up a clipboard on the way. She checked his vitals, drew blood and watched him very carefully for the next couple of hours, growing more tired as the night wore on. Somewhere around 5 am, she checked his blood and vitals again and noticed a change. The doctor slept off and on, visibly worn by the radiation but not to a point of worry. Only these results gave Navia a reason to get the doctor's attention. "Doctor, I think you should see this."  
  
Hank rose and joined her at the computer and the microscope. He watched as the numbers rose slowly out of the target range. "Let me see what's going on." He moved her out of the way gently enough but what he saw under the lens made him step back.  
  
"Doctor, what does this mean?"  
  
"I. I'm not really sure."  
  
*****  
  
Inside the mansion, Kurt teleported from hallway to hallway making sure everything was okay on the inside. He eventually ended up very close to Orora's room and peered into her open door. She sat before her mirror, brushing her hair and humming a haunting tune. Kurt was still taken by her beauty, the serenity of the look on her face, her delicate hands, her candid eyes; all of her. The two of them hadn't had a one on one conversation since that day in the Cerebro replica.  
  
Earlier that evening Kurt decided that he would make his move as soon as possible. He showered before his watch and put on school issue sweat pants with a hole for his tail and clipped his nails, ruining one pair of clippers before finding one suitable for the talon strength nails. 'I must speak with her, I must no longer be afraid of what I feel.' Kurt thought these words to himself as he lifted his hand to knock on her door.  
  
Orora eyed the reflection of the doorway and the blue furry figure standing within, then stared into her own eyes. "Come in, Kurt." He walked in, careful not to allow nervous movements of his tail to disturb anything in the room. Orora spoke, still not facing him. "Will you close the door? It is. well beyond time for us to talk." Not wishing to take his eyes off her, he pushed at the door with his tail and it closed softly behind him. He scanned her room, looking for somewhere suitable to sit if he were asked to do so, finding an ottoman like chair at the foot of her bed and near her vanity.  
  
Orora put her brush down beside her and turned to face Kurt. "Please, sit down." She nearly gestured to the ottoman before her eyes darted sideways. "I think we both have feelings for each other and, no matter how hard I've been trying to deny mine for you, I can't do it anymore. It seemed inappropriate to think of romance when the longest standing relationship between X-Men ended so tragically and we were mourning the loss of a great friend and colleague. I have been talking with Scott about this and he." She paused, taking a finger from each of his hands in hers. Her eyes rolled to glance at fingers she thought had talon like nails to find they were much like her own, but clipped short like the nails of someone who bites them. "Scott, once he was able to pull himself together, nearly chastised me for not acting sooner and insisted that you and I would have his blessing."  
  
Kurt began to stroke her hands with his thumbs, pulling a little to get her to sit next to him. Several things happened in the seconds that followed. Before either of them realized what they were doing, they were standing, facing each other, tentatively and lightly touching each other's faces. He cupped her face in his palm with a finger above and below her ears and leaned in for a kiss, but she pulled back, eyes looking into his own, then to his mouth and back again. "I'll be careful not to . nick you with them." He spoke, his eyes not leaving her lips as he again closed the distance between hers and his own. Their lips came together in a chaste kiss followed by many more of the same, both a little wary of Kurt's fangs. She was the first to part her lips to suck lightly on his bottom lip, stepping into him, pressing her body gently against his. He slid her white robe from her shoulders and slid his hands over the back of her satin nightgown, parting his own lips to deepen the kiss. One of his fangs nicked her lip and she whimpered into his mouth. As he tried to pull away, she held him tightly, keeping her lips in contact with his while rubbing his nose with her own.  
  
"It's alright, Kurt." She whispered against his mouth and began kissing her way down his face and over his neck. He gripped her body tightly, tickling the part of her back between her shoulder blades, then scooped her up and sat her on her bed. Orora reached out to his hands, and he took them, sitting beside her. They gazed into each other's eyes [1] for a few heartbeats before she removed her hands from his and untied the straps of her stark white nightgown. She watched Kurt's eyes as the satin slid down her breasts, over her hardened nipples, and took a deep breath to push her breasts forward in offering. Her gesture did not go unnoticed and she sighed with his fuzzy caresses. He laid her back gently and put his arm beneath her knees to lift her hips enough to slide the long satin gown off her, then slid his fingers slowly up and down the tops of her thighs. She sat up immediately and Kurt froze, thinking he had done something wrong. She simply scooted back on the bed to make room for him in front of her, pulling him in between her legs.  
  
Kurt was still in shock, or maybe overwhelmed is a more appropriate word. She took his breath away fully clothed, he forgot to breathe as he realized he sat between her legs, that she opened herself to him in such a way. In all of his training for control, he was quite unprepared for this. His sweatpants tented in front of him, in front of her and he couldn't keep his hips from bucking softly. He shifted from his knees to a sitting position where his Orora was also between his legs and pulled her into him, kissing her with heat as carefully as he could. She moaned into his mouth as his finger slid between her legs. It slid deep within her and they were both lucky to be liplocked as their kiss stifled a deep and guttural moan. He moaned too; the feel of the warm heat tightly wrapped around his finger went straight to his loins. The rest of his body remained composed as he slowly slid his finger in and out of her. His other hand caressed her back, arms, her face. He put her pleasure, her release before his own and was more than pleased when it came. His finger felt her pulse pounding and muscles contract while she clung to his body, shuddering with light aftershocks. She slumped into his arms and he held her as she drifted off as if worn out by it all. Kurt was almost saddened by this, but put her to bed. He checked her clock before he left, surprised that it was already almost 4. His watch was over so he walked quietly from her room and returned to his own, sighing in frustration and contentment from the night's events. 


	3. Whispers From the Past

Eri-Sama: Not sure if I added this to the last chapter but the recognizable characters still aren't mine, but those you don't know are. Again, tilde chains (~~~) will indicate a flashback. Also, in case you somehow skipped over my first intro, every part of this story -could- be offensive, so beware. I'm absolutely hungry for comments, but I also don't think I've had a whole lot happen to these guys to get so many comments. I also don't believe in threats, but it might get you guys to reviewing a little faster. Anyway, please enjoy, I spent a lot of time developing the characters and (hopefully) emotion within the story.  
  
Whispers From the Past  
  
Daylight came all too soon for Kurt. He spent the rest of the night thinking about what happened between he and Orora. 'I wonder if she will be upset with me. Maybe she wanted me to sleep next to her. What will I say to her at breakfast? Should I visit her every night?' His thoughts and concerns grew and preyed on his mind for two hours as he lay in bed, attempting sleep. He finally gave up on sleep and sat at his window, watching the sunrise. Glancing back he noticed it was 7:43, breakfast would be ready soon and he should either eat or go to sleep, though he knew he couldn't leave his room or drift off until he was more content with himself and what happened. 'I wish I had stayed with her, woke up at her side and let her decide whether she wanted to see the rest of my body.' He got up and started to walk around, trying not to make noise so no one would think he was awake, and thoughts still racing in his head. Kurt found his way to his bathroom, pulled off his sweatpants and lightly touched himself, his member responding immediately. 'I didn't study theology to end up like this. I should have more willpower.' His thoughts drifted to the feel of Orora's skin beneath his fingers as he stepped into the shower and allowed the warm water to pelt his chest, running down and over his now erect penis. He lathered up the rest of his body, trying to resist touching himself again for pleasure but failed and allowed his soapy hands to glide up and down his length. Small moans escaped from his mouth, lips parted just enough to ease the labor of breathing. He came quickly and hard as his mind finished the replay of his time with his love just a few hours ago and kneeled on the floor of the tub, panting, still unable to let go. As his mind cleared from the fog of orgasm, his thoughts returned to his self- inflicted dilemma. 'She wouldn't have let me walk away if she felt obligated to me. I will go to her tonight and talk with her again.'  
  
***  
  
Dr. McCoy paced once again, only pausing to drink coffee or sit for a few moments. He didn't understand why his experiment went so wrong. After a few hours and a lot of cross referencing, Hank and Navia found that his cell structure was changing, less rapidly after the first few hours, but they calculated that he'd mutate within the next few days. McCoy didn't have a hatred for mutants, but he feared what he didn't understand as most humans do. As his humanity slipped away, he grew more afraid because he would soon be proof of how little he knew about them.  
  
He grabbed some more coffee and sat down, jamming the mug down on a surface next to him, causing a considerable amount of the liquid to spill. "Dr. McCoy, please" Navia started to scold him for his careless actions but stopped and took a step back.  
  
"I'm sorry, Navia. You. you don't have to call me Dr. McCoy anymore, since I'm sure they'll strip me of my title after people notice my mutation." He stopped to scratch his scalp; skin irritation was one of the symptoms with his mutation. Gods knew what his mutation would be, but so far they noticed changes in his hair follicles, thickening and change in hair color was apparent.  
  
Navia sighed. "Hank, you can't let this get to you, not now. Here, lets watch Senate coverage to see what's going on with that registration act nonsense."  
  
*** "I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Kansas."  
  
"Thank you. I try to think of the Mutant Registration Act as a way to help the Department of Health and Human Services. We intend for the information we gather to be kept strictly confidential and only used for research. There are enough mutants out there who have come forward in our test areas who would like to help us find a cure, if possible, and have powers they need assistance in controlling before they become dangerous to themselves and those around them. This will also help us with strange occurrences like the one that happened in the south last month. Rather than this becoming a sort of punishment or internment camp, the MRA will be a social program for mutants, something meant to help not harm. I yield back to the gentleman from Ohio."  
  
"Thank you, Senator. As the gentlewoman from Kansas said, our version of the Mutant Registration Act is meant solely for the purpose of education and research."  
  
The time for voting followed the Senator's closing statements and Xavier and Scott looked on while they called role.  
  
"Professor, why did we come? I really don't see what we can do if we're only watching."  
  
Xavier cut him off. "Scott, they really do think they're voting for something innocent. At least most of them do, let's go back home."  
  
The two took a taxi out to a remote area of Virginia to board the plane and flew quickly home. What they didn't realize was Magneto and his team were in D.C. as well, and they had heard the news.  
  
Mystique eyed Magneto, watching him, knowing what was going on in his mind. "I hope you won't weaken when the X brats show up this time, Magneto. There is now too much at stake."  
  
Magneto wasn't listening to her, he was intently watching the numbers increase, though slowly, on the "yea" line. His brow furrowed and his memories from his childhood came back to him, each scene flashing through his thoughts faster than he could ever blink them away.  
  
"Magneto!" Mystique spoke louder to get his attention and he turned away, walking to the plane while he spoke.  
  
"We will do nothing. We will see if the humans have any honor. If they do, mutants will be safe from the government. If not. humans will not be safe from us." 


	4. Steppin' Out

Eri-Sama: Again, I still don't own the recognizable characters, but when you see someone new, it's mine unless I say otherwise. Again, still rated R to be on the safe side, tilde (~) chains are still indicators of flashback. I apologize for not updating sooner, that third part was tough on me, for some reason. The title is for more than what happens in the story, I'm also kind of on a tangent from my original plan, but I'll be back on track soon enough.  
  
Would love some reviews, good or bad, as long as it will help my writing.  
  
Steppin' Out  
  
"I see Congress passed a bill in record time." The President read through the wording of the Mutant Registration Act thoroughly, but quickly, knowing he didn't agree with it. He was a fence sitter on this issue, he had friends he knew, or at least suspected, were mutants, yet he also had a reoccurring nightmare of being attacked by a blue mutant for the past year. He always worried about that gap in his memory around that time, wondering if another mutant was responsible for the loss of info, even wondering whether that mutant would have manipulated his thoughts so that he'd believe all mutants weren't bad.  
  
When he finished reading the bill, he returned to his desk and unlocked the drawer on his left, removing a stamp and an inkpad. He smiled, actually enjoying this part of his job, for once, and struck the paper with it, leaving a clear "veto" printed near the bottom left corner.  
  
He handed the copy to his assistant. "Feel free to let this be known to any and everyone who might ask. It's been a while since I could directly challenge Congress and not worry about my conscience." The assistant promptly left the office and the President alone with his bodyguard.  
  
"Mr. President, if I might speak freely."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Booren, feel free."  
  
Booren looked around, then spoke. "I think, Mr. President, you made the right decision, but this issue may never be solved peacefully." The President looked at Booren carefully, looking almost amused. Booren cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Mr. President."  
  
"No need to apologize, Mr. Booren, I am in complete agreement with you. To me, it feels a lot like ongoing conflict in the Middle East, both sides feel threatened enough by the other that they fear the only way to exist is to do away with the other." The President started to leave the office and walk down the hall, waving off other who wished to speak with him about his most recent decision. He didn't speak to Booren until they were in another room, well down the hall from his office and after the door was shut.  
  
The President began to speak again. "I just want to make it clear to the stronger side that I don't support anything resembling a revocation of a mutant's human rights, even if they aren't what the rest of us would call simply human. But, tonight, I will prepare a speech for the morning press conference I have yet to schedule to let the American public know exactly what I feel, what I think, the same thing you've expressed to me today."  
  
***  
  
Quite a bit of remodeling had been done over the past year, now the kids were either paired off or three to a room. Rogue, as a junior member of the team, got to have her own room, but when another female around her age joined the team, she'd have to share. For now, she liked being by herself. She decided to take a break from the tension now that it was all over. Everyone left in the mansion wandered back to their own rooms after the news came through. No one knew how to react to the President's veto of the Mutant Registration Act, but they were a bit worried about the emergency session Congress called. It would truly be just that, an emergency, if Congress were to meet between the holidays. All anyone could do was wait.  
  
Rogue decided to write in her diary. She only started to keep it since she moved into the mansion. Most of her entries were dreams, nightmares, and most of those had to do with Magneto. They were all really intimate things she believed actually happened to him. She began to write "December 2nd, 2003. The president veto'd that MRA thing. Congress will probably meet and override his veto; I don't know what will happen after that. The tension around here has died down a little; the Professor told us that the act itself wasn't meant to harm mutants.  
  
"Other than that, I still worry about Bobby. I'm pretty sure that whatever we had between us is over. Logan, on the other hand, seems to actually be interested in me. The other night, he and I were on patrol, he sneaked up on me, asked me if I was all right and we walked the grounds together, just talking. It's funny, I don't think I could even remember what we were talking about if I tried, but it seemed important at the time. I've always had feelings for Logan, but, well, he's so much older than I am, I never thought much of them. Bobby used to, especially when he came home last year. I do admit, I was very bouncy and very happy to see him again. So, this morning, I got up for breakfast and he met me in the hall, like he was waiting for me. It all seems a little strange; I can't think of any other explanation for his behavior.  
  
"I had another dream about Magneto this morning, too. It was really vivid." While she carefully formed the letters and words in her diary, Logan, again, crept through the hall and through her door, just watching her movements. She was on her stomach, face resting on her hand, legs bent at the knees, feet kicking back and forth, occasionally hitting the wall to her left. Rogue's diary continued "He was. being intimate with this woman, she had long blonde hair, the most pronounced figure I've ever seen and Magneto was. afraid of her, yet I think he believed he was in love." She paused in her writing, thinking she heard something. She quickly rolled over, turning onto her side and saw Logan standing in the far corner and jumped, hitting the wall with her elbow.  
  
"Hey, kid, calm down, it's just me." He smiled at her, hands up in an attempt to look harmless. Rogue sat up and rubbed her elbow, pouting at him. "Aww, don't make that face at me, let me look at your elbow." She scooted to the edge of the bed and he sat next to her while she lifted her arm for him to see.  
  
"Theyah's nothin' wrong with it, see? Ah just hurt it a little, that's ahwl." She turned to face him, curling one leg up and under her. "Now, care to explain why you're lurking in the shadows of a kid's room?" Rogue found herself looking into Logan's eyes and felt herself leaning into him, or he into her.  
  
Logan cleared his throat. "Well, I thought maybe you were bored. I walked by and saw you kicking your legs in the air and I thought that maybe you and I could go out. You know, only if you're not busy." He, of course, wasn't shy about this, but his lack of contact with women left him a bit clumsy with words.  
  
She bit down on her lower lip before she smiled at him. "Where'd ya have in mind?"  
  
"Pool hall? Bar?"  
  
"I'm too young to get into a bar or a pool hall."  
  
Logan chuckled. "Well, maybe dressed as you are, they'll think you're too young. What, you're 18 now, aren't you?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but I still can't get into a bar."  
  
"Maybe not a bar on this side of the border." He flashed her a grin and stood. "We'll take Scott's car, I'm sure he won't mind. Pack an overnight bag just in case, okay?" Rogue just sat there, gaping at his back, but got up after he left to change and throw some things in a bag. She tore a piece of paper from the back of her diary and scratched out, "Going to Canada with Logan, If we're not back by Sunday, start worrying. -Rogue" On her way out she stashed her diary in her hiding place, pulled her hair out of her face and bounded out of her room to meet Logan down the hall. 


	5. New Resident

Eri-Sama: Sorry it's so short, I didn't want to have the date stuff in this chapter, but it will be in the next chapter. Anyway, still rated R to be on the safe side, I still don't own the recognizable characters, tilde (~) chains indicate flashback, these ( ' ' ) indicate a person's thought. Reviews are appreciated, I'm so glad I have another person tracking my story! I have to admit, that puts a bit of heat under my butt.  
  
New Resident  
  
Hank McCoy stepped out of a taxi in front of Xavier's mansion dressed in jeans, old shoes, a T-shirt, a large raincoat and a fedora. He held a duffel bag in his left hand and held his coat closed with the other as he approached the front door. He wrapped his fingers around the brass knocker and knocked two, three, then four times before he saw his fingers and quickly returned them to his coat.  
  
"I'll get it." Orora called through the house, striding to the door, her steps as much like strutting as one could get in fuzzy slippers. She peered through the peephole and saw a shadowed figure. "It seems that our house is where everyone comes when they're hiding or running from something." She opened the door and Hank lifted his head so she could see his face. He was still slightly handsome and a few beats ticked by before Orora was able to speak. "Do. do I know you?"  
  
Dr. McCoy stammered a bit, unsure of what to say. "I, uh, well, you see, my name is Doctor Hank McCoy and I need to speak with Charles Xavier about some research I've done." He looked down to his exposed knuckles and Orora followed his gaze, noticing something was wrong.  
  
She stepped back and opened the door wide enough for him to come in, closing it behind him. "Come with me." She walked toward the hidden elevator, stepping in behind him and took him into the depths of the mansion to wait for Xavier.  
  
***  
  
Logan chose Scott's convertible, but decided to keep the top up since it was quite cold this time of year. After he left Rogue's room, he actually got ready like he was going on a date, he trimmed his mutton chops, put on clean and unwrinkled clothes and even a bit of cologne. He fast, but not so fast to draw attention, in a rush to get across the border and to a bar so he and his date could enjoy the night. Rogue wore a long loose skirt, knee high boots, a cropped wide strap tank top and a heavy duster. They rode in silence until they got to the border, after that, they started talking.  
  
Logan started. "Rogue."  
  
"Please, you know mah name's Marie."  
  
He chuckled before going on. "Right, Marie. Do you mind that I've taken off with you on a dark, cold night heading to some unknown and probably seedy location?" A smile crept upon his lips and he turned his head to look at her, then quickly back to the road ahead.  
  
"The only thing ah really worry about is that you keep your eyes on th' road." She shifted in her seat, turning a little to see him better. She nearly felt words reverberate in her head, in Logan's voice, but the words weren't clear. When Logan started to chuckle, she had to ask him. "What were yah thinkin' about just now?"  
  
"Oh, just thinking it's hard to keep my eyes off you, you look great, Marie." He slipped a cigar out of the left front pocket of his leather jacket and bit down on it. "Don't worry, I won't light it yet. It's bad enough I'm taking Scott's ride. again, I'll at least respect his upholstery."  
  
Marie looked out the window, blowing softly on the glass. "So where are we going?"  
  
"A bar I came across when I was in this part of Canada. It was a few years back, I just hope it's the way I remember it." He really just wanted it to still be there. Logan wasn't the type to be easily embarrassed, but making a big deal about an over night road trip to some place that didn't exist would probably be enough to bring him to shame. They drove along for about another 10 miles and pulled in close to the building.  
  
***  
  
Kurt wandered around the mansion, trying to figure where Orora had gone. 'It's getting late, I hope she's not out.' He checked nearly every room in the place, kitchen, garage, bathrooms, Scott's room, classrooms. When he got to the lower levels of the mansion, he heard her voice, and that of Xavier, and a new voice.  
  
"You're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like. We've needed a doctor around here for a while now." Charles spoke softly, but his voice carried down the corridors easily.  
  
"Thank you very much, I would like to help you in any way I can. You say I can stay here?" The unfamiliar voice resounded through the halls nearly as well as Xavier's.  
  
"Orora will show you to a room, at least I believe we have a room available." Kurt could tell something was being said, but Orora's voice didn't carry like the men's voices. "I'll see you in the morning, Dr. McCoy, goodnight to both of you." He decided to hide rather than be caught eavesdropping, not knowing whether Charles was aware of his presence, but knowing neither of the other two would. As they approached he hid in the shadows of a hallway he thought they wouldn't turn into.  
  
"Well, Dr. McCoy."  
  
"Oh, please, call me Hank."  
  
"Okay, welcome to Xavier's school for the gifted. Of course, I'm sure you realize it's sort of a cover for what we actually do here. The children are gifted, as you know, but most of them are academically gifted as well. I am a teacher here, chemistry, biology, and mathematics to calculus. Professor Xavier handles calculus and physics, the other teachers you'll meet soon, I'm sure. They can tell you what they do, or you can just sit in and watch." They continued talking as they walked to the elevator and the door closed behind them.  
  
"She's so kind, always trying to help. I'll catch her tomorrow, then." Kurt teleported upstairs and to his room, showered and went to bed. 


End file.
